


You just Keep me Hanging On

by The_Exile



Category: Valkyrie Profile: Lenneth
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Apocalypse, Flirting, Lawfer's not that innocent though, M/M, Ragnarok, Spiritual Bonds, Spoilers, Swearing, corrupting the innocent, implied immanent sex, possibly after getting very drunk, we keep other going
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-31
Updated: 2017-08-31
Packaged: 2018-12-22 03:15:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11958543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Exile/pseuds/The_Exile
Summary: Lawfer doesn't understand why they still exist after everything goes wrong. Arngrim doesn't quite understand why they let him be an Einherjar in the first place. Maybe it's true that the only thing they live for is each other.





	You just Keep me Hanging On

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Red_Terra](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Red_Terra/gifts).



> This is set in a favourite headcanon AU of mine, which is sort of the C Ending except interrupted by Surt possessing Lenneth, giving Surt a huge power increase that changes the entire balance of the war. The idea is that the Einherjar find ways to sort things out by themselves.

When Arngrim went back to sit under his favourite tree, Lawfer was already there, humming an Artolian folk ballad under his breath in that soft, precise voice of his, even as he polished his halberd. The mercenary had never heard Lawfer sing before and hadn't realised how well trained his voice was. Had he trained professionally before he joined the Guard? Once again, the thought made Arngrim wonder what they would have done with their lives had they not been born in a time of such great conflict. He imagined Lawfer as a great bard, winning the hearts of ladies with his fair face and gentle mannerisms. Arngrim would probably end up helping his brother sell paintings, maybe keep him safe against people who might bully him for being small and weak. That's if he could actually persuade the stubborn idiot to accept money for his paintings so he didn't have to go and do another crappy job to support the two of them instead, maybe construction or tavern security. Even in times of peace, Arngrim wasn't stupid enough to imagine that there would be no assholes who preyed on the weak, or an end to the constant need for money and the rush to find unsavoury ways of acquiring it. History was a cycle, after all, and even when the world was reborn in the flood after the fire that purged it clean, mostly the same things would happen, just in a slightly different way.

Arngrim found himself thinking about death and rebirth a lot lately. Not just because the world was about to end - it was enough to get anyone thinking gloomy thoughts, really - but because the nagging feeling that he had experienced all of this bullcrap before kept occupying his mind more and more. 

He knew he had been Hrist's Einherjar, that it had been against his will. He also knew the Black-Winged Valkyrie was on the hunt for him again. Hell, he had crossed swords with her once or twice already, only survived because of a third party's interference. He didn't remember any of it, though, only fragments of vague emotions. It must have been so long ago. Maybe it had even been before the death of the last world...

"How are we still here?" asked Lawfer. The soft, rolling accent shook Arngrim out of his reverie again. He had been standing a few yards away, gawping, he realised, probably looking like a moon-blinded stalker. 

He shrugged his massive shoulders, "No idea. What idiot thought it was a good idea to make me an Einherjar in the first place? I thought suicides couldn't even get into Valhalla."

"You know which idiot," Lawfer laughed and looked pointedly upwards. Even his laughter sounded like a tinkling waterfall. Does that guy have Fey blood, wondered the mercenary, "Honestly, I think you deserve a second chance, considering the circumstances. To be forced into such unthinkable acts..."

"Yeah, I get ya. The world's not fair, and rules need exceptions if they're going to do what they were made to do instead of just going by the letter."

Lawfer looked visibly uncomfortable at this. As a guard captain's son, he had brought up to hold the law higher than all other causes, Arngrim remembered. Hell, his name even had the word 'law' in it. But which law? And was it really more important than saving his own father's life?

"Thank you again for what you did for our family," said the ex-guard, looking Arngrim straight in the eyes with that deep, intense gaze of his. Lawfer's own eyes were a mysterious dark chestnut brown, always seeming sad. The mercenary's cheeks burned.

"N-no problem," stammered Arngrim, raising his arms above his head, "I mean, of course it's a big deal, but... I guess we've all done things that make us worthy of becoming Einherjar."

"If that's really such an honour, that is," Lawfer frowned, "These days, it feels more like we're just a tyrant's pawns again, like we're all Odin's dogs, and Lenneth was only ever the leader of the pack."

"Lenneth's still alive, you know, but yeah, I get what you mean," Arngrim finally plucked up the courage to sit down next to Lawfer, leaning his back against the solid oak. How he could feel things like that, he had no idea. Am I alive or am I dead, fuck it, he growled. Lawfer gave him a worried look, closer to concern than fear. He averted his gaze, suddenly embarrassed, then said, "You said something about being confused we were still here. Where do you suggest we go? Because I'm all up for getting the hell out of here, it there was anywhere left to go where we would possibly not get swept back up into this mess."

"I meant 'here' as in 'still existing at all'," explained Lawfer, "My link to Lenneth is gone - I can feel the silence where it was - and I don't have anything else keeping me in existence. I flat refused to go along with Lezard's plan to put us all in homunculus vessels. I trust him about as far as I can throw him, frankly. And as for Mystina and her spirit walking, I've seen what a mess it got her into and I'm certainly not going to fall for the same thing!"

"I wouldn't trust Mystina any more than Lezard, anyway," advised Arngrim, "I'm not going anywhere near them and their plotting either."

"But I'm getting the impression that you have other arrangements..."

"Trust me, they aren't going to save my soul, except maybe for dessert. If anything, they're making everything worse," he sighed.

"Then what is keeping either of us here? We have no contracts with any other powerful entities, we have no magical talent of our own, nothing at all is special about us and I don't think sheer willpower alone can get us through something this bad. Not for long, anyway. Not that I want to look a gift horse in the mouth, you understand, but whatever it is might run out, or even turn bad on us..."

"So you want to be prepared for the worst, eh?" Arngrim chuckled, "You're turning into as bad a cynical old pessimist as me. I like it. It's going to save your life, learning how the world works."

"I'm just trying to find a way I can save more souls in the end," protested Lawfer.

"Hey, I never said you had to go full mercenary scumbag."

"I... I was not implying..." Lawfer waved his hands from side to side, shaking his head. Anrgrim only cackled louder.

"Looks like I still need to teach you about humour," he said. Suddenly, he found himself leaning in so that the heat between them was noticeable even compared to the Ragnarok-heat in the air. A wicked grin spread across his face as he whispered into the younger man's ear, moving a hand closer, "If it's okay with you, of course, that your innocent heart is gonna be corrupted by a big, bad mercenary."

Lawfer looked startled. Arngrim realised what he was doing and blushed. However, the young guard did not shrink away from him. In fact, the look in his eyes was surprised but somehow hopeful, maybe even longing. 

 

Keeping his face perfectly, maddeningly straight, he replied, "Well, you might as well finish what you started! Get a move on, will you, I don't know if you noticed but the world's going to end!"

Angrim tried not to look as stupid as he felt. What the hell am I supposed to do next, he wondered. Is there more posturing expected or do we get straight to the interesting part? He only just realised that, despite seeming like the sort of person with experience in this matter, he had spent large periods of time, a lot of it that he could not remember, with the inconvenient problem of being dead. That, and all the sexy ladies and gentlemen in the Einherjar community had serious psychological problems, were downright evil or had the tendency to turn into demons when they lost control. And were also dead. It was the 'dead' thing that put him off the most. I mean, technically it didn't matter because they were only dead on paper, they all had feeling in every body part, so to speak, and they were all able to consent, but still...

"You know, I think I have the answer to my dilemma," announced Lawfer. Arngrim frowned, not sure whether to feel cheated or relieved by the apparent change of tone in the conversation, "About how we exist, that is. What is keeping us going on."

"Uh-huh? And that is?"

"Contracts," he said in a matter of fact voice, "Bonds. Not with Valkyries or demons, just the ordinary bonds we have with each other as people. I mean, we're not as strong as Gods and devils, but we're still pretty powerful spirits. We're trained to take on demons, even if we're supposed to do it in a squad commanded by a Valkyrie who isn't here any more. And our bonds with each other are stronger than the ones we made with Lenneth when we didn't have a choice. After all, we understand each other properly, we're closer to each other, we got this close by choice, and..." he paused for breath, gulping, and looked Arngrim in the eyes again, "And I don't think there's a bond out there stronger than the love that one person has for another. Let's not kid around here, Arngrim - we love each other, don't we?"

"Yeah, I guess so," Arngrim grunted, "Although... I dunno if we have as much choice as you think. They say love is fated, you know, and... and I don't think I can imagine a situation in which I met you and got to know you and didn't fall in love with you. If I was able to do that, I don't think I would be myself any more."

"Then let's be ourselves," said Lawfer, "Let's be true to who we are. Even if it means we stop trying to get everything right and act out roles we think we have to, and just do what comes naturally when we see each other. Because I think that's the only way to strengthen the bond between each other that might be the only thing keeping us in existence right now."

"You sure?" asked Arngrim, "Because if you wanna do something more ritualistic, I'm up for that too. We could look in Mystina's spellbooks..."

"Arngrim, I did not think you were into THAT sort of thing!" exclaimed Lawfer, the look of shock on his face making the mercenary blush even more. 

"Well, I thought we should celebrate it properly, that's all," he shrugged, trying his best to keep a straight face, "Or we could just fetch a bottle of mead, a tablecloth and some candles, find a more secluded spot... I've tested it a million times already and you can definitely still get rat-arsed when you're an Einherjar."

"Honestly, you do not know the first thing about romance. When I said you should do what came naturally, I assumed you had at least some idea of what you were doing."

"Oh, did you want me to practice? Who did you have in mind?"

It was Lawfer's turn to blush, "I suppose this is sort of what I expected of you, though. I agree, we should at least find somewhere a little more private. I'm sure most of our old acquaintances know we come up here by now. Of course, I'm not really sure if there's any such thing as a safe place left anywhere in the world..."

"I'll protect you," said Arngrim, unsheathing his broadsword and holding it in front of Lawfer, offering it to him as though he were swearing loyalty to a King. Then he straightened up, stretched again, "C'mon then. As you said, let's not wait for the world to end. I've got to stop off somewhere on the way. I wasn't kidding about needing that bottle of mead."


End file.
